Shesterkin was 36-13-4 in 53 games (52 starts) this season, leading the NHL in GAA (2.07) and save percentage (.935; minimum 20 games). He was third in shutouts (six), sixth in wins, and had a save percentage of at least .940 in 26 starts.
"It means a lot to me," Shesterkin said. "I didn't think about it when I came to the NHL, but sometimes you think 'Maybe I have a chance.' The first preseason (game) against the Islanders, I didn't play. One guy, one small child in the middle, showed me a picture of myself and (it said) 'For Future Vezina Trophy Winner.'… I think, 'Why not? We have a good team for that'. Everybody helped me so much with that. It's a
) and was named to the NHL First All-Star Team.
"I mean, it's obviously very, very well deserved," Rangers forward Chris Kreider said after Shesterkin was named a finalist for the Hart Trophy. "He's been our best player all year. We're certainly not in the position that we're in now without him. I mean, he kept us in games, he single-handedly won games. He's got my vote if that counts for anything."
Shesterkin helped the Rangers advance to the Eastern Conference Final this season, where they lost to the Tampa Bay Lightning in six games.
"Yes, [watching the Stanley Cup Final is] so difficult because we had a very good team and we deserved to play in the Final," he said. "… So I think it was a really good experience for us and so we will get stronger next season."
2022 Vezina Trophy voting
Points (1st-3rd)
1. Igor Shesterkin, NYR 154 (29-3-0)
2. Jacob Markstrom, CGY 53 (0-14-11)
3. Juuse Saros, NSH 32 (0-9-5)
4. Frederik Andersen, CAR 21 (1-3-7)
5. Andrei Vasilevskiy, TBL 14 (1-2-3)
6. Ilya Sorokin, NYI 11 (1-1-3)
7. Thatcher Demko, VAN 1(0-0-1)
7. Ville Husso, STL 1 (0-0-1)
7. Tristan Jarry, PIT 1 (0-0-1)
Points allocation: 5-3-1 (1st-2nd-3rd)
NHL.com staff writer William Douglas contributed to this report
